Looks like Google Pixel fanatics are in for a treat as multiple sources have been hinting at not just two but three new Pixel branded smartphones that are likely to hit the store shelves this year.

Last year, the search giant marked its arrival into the smartphone segment with its first set of Google-branded smartphones -- Pixel and Pixel XL. As expected, the aforesaid handsets garnered positive feedbacks from critics and users from across the globe. Still riding high on its successful start, Google is likely to introduce three new Pixel devices in 2017.

Google Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL & Pixel 2 XXL

Google might come out with upgrades for last year's Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. According to a report from BGR, these devices will come bearing Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL monikers. In addition to these two, rumors are rife about a new model, called Pixel 2 XXL.

Sticking to its release pattern, Google has codenamed these smartphones after fishes. It can be recalled that when rumors about Google's entry self-branded smartphones were springing in from all corners, the devices were internally named as 'Sailfish' and 'Marlin.'

Following in the footsteps of AndroidPolice and DroidLife, a German-based website called WinFuture stumbled upon references in Google's latest AOSP (Android Open Source Platform) to a triad of Pixel 2 codenames: 'muskie', 'walleye' and 'taimen'. It's worth noting that all three codenames allude to aquatic animals.

While reports about the launch of multiple Pixel devices are doing the rounds online, the recently surfaced leak confirms that the Google Pixel 2 XXL is indeed in the making. Moreover, it suggests all three Pixel branded smartphones will pack Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 835 SoC under the hood, which debuted with the recently announced Samsung Galaxy S8 and Xiaomi Mi 6 smartphones.

However, this does not echo previously surfaced reports which indicated Google is hard at works on a low-priced smartphone, which will be announced alongside the Pixel 2 and will target emerging markets. There's also hearsay that among the rumored Google Pixel 2 devices, 'Taimen' model will be the largest; in fact, it is expected to be even larger than the Pixel 2 XL.

The current-generation Pixel XL comes with a 5.5-inch display, meaning something bigger might be in the offing this year. It is highly likely that the third Pixel device could boast an identical size to the Samsung Galaxy S8+ i.e. 6.2-inch display.

In fact, there's a possibility that 'Taimen' could actually turn out to be a tablet (unfortunately, not a laptop since it will pack the Snapdragon chipset), but that might not come to fruition either. Google has already confirmed it doesn't plan to oust its last tablet, which is the three-year-old Nexus 9 and it has also ruled out any possibility for an immediate successor of its Chromebook Pixel 2.

The Pixel and Pixel XL successors are said to lay emphasis on the camera hardware, which aligns with Google's plan to perfect low-light photography with the next generation of its Pixel branded smartphone. As far as pricing are concerned, Google has already indicated that the impending Pixel smartphones will be premium.